complete verse (Job 21:27)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Job 21:27:

  • Kupsabiny: “I know all your thoughts.
    and the evil you want for me.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “I know quite well what you are thinking,
    and I know the schemes you are plotting against me. ” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “‘I know very-well what you (plur.) are-thinking. I know your (plur.) schemes against me.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “‘Listen, I know what you three are thinking.
    I know the evil things that you plan to do to me.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

formal 2nd person plural pronoun (Japanese)

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Like a number of other East Asian languages, Japanese uses a complex system of honorifics, i.e. a system where a number of different levels of politeness are expressed in language via words, word forms or grammatical constructs. These can range from addressing someone or referring to someone with contempt (very informal) to expressing the highest level of reference (as used in addressing or referring to God) or any number of levels in-between.

One way Japanese shows different degree of politeness is through the choice of a formal plural suffix to the second person pronoun (“you” and its various forms) as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. In these verses, anata-gata (あなたがた) is used, combining the second person pronoun anata and the plural suffix -gata to create a formal plural pronoun (“you” [plural] in English).

(Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )

Translation commentary on Job 21:27

Verse 27 begins the final section of Job’s speech in which his observations are said to be confirmed by those who travel.

Behold, I know your thoughts: the Hebrew has two lines, the second of which develops the word thoughts in the first line. Job means here that he knows the friends refer to him when they talk about the doom awaiting the wicked. Behold here does not just emphasize something to follow, according to Dhorme, but rather affirms his statement as introducing a new theme. Thoughts in this context are hostile thoughts directed against Job, and so Good News Translation says “I know what spiteful thoughts you have.” Bible en français courant translates “Pay attention: I know what you have in the back of your minds.” This refers to the ulterior motives of the friends.

And your schemes to wrong me: schemes is almost the same in meaning as thoughts in the previous line, and Good News Translation therefore reduces the two lines to one. Verse 27 may be rendered, for example, “I know you have had thoughts and plan to do me wrong” or “I know what evil thoughts you think and how you plan to harm me.”

Quoted with permission from Reyburn, Wiliam. A Handbook on Job. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1992. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .